(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
  (1) Affiliate--Any entity that would be classified as a member of an affiliated group under 26 U.S.C., §1504 (Definitions).
  (2) Assignee--A person to whom either a retailer who made the sale or a private label credit provider transfers the right to claim a credit or refund of Texas sales or use tax paid on a bad debt via a written assignment with specific language transferring the right to claim a credit or refund under this section.
  (3) Bad debt--Any portion of the sales price of a taxable item that a retailer or private label credit provider cannot collect, and that has been determined to be worthless and actually charged off for federal income tax purposes, provided that the bad debt amount for calculation of the refund or credit is limited to bad debts related to sales that were made by the retailer with whom the person that extended credit entered into the private label credit agreement.
  (4) Credit sale--Any sale in which the terms of the sale provide for deferred payment of the sales price. Credit sales include installment sales, sales under conditional sales contracts and revolving credit accounts, and sales for which another person extends credit to the purchaser under a private label credit agreement.
  (5) Private label credit agreement--An agreement by which a person agrees to extend credit to purchasers for credit sales with a retailer or the retailer's affiliates, or franchisees, often using a credit card or other instrument bearing the name or logo of the retailer or the retailer's affiliates or franchisees.
  (6) Private label credit provider--A person who extends credit to a purchaser under a private label credit agreement.
  (7) Trade-in--Tangible personal property taken by a seller as all or a part of the consideration for the sale of a taxable item when the property is of a type normally sold by the seller in the regular course of business, and the seller separately states the value of the property to the purchaser by means of an invoice, billing, sales slip, ticket, or contract.
(b) Accounting methods.
  (1) Reporting sales and use tax. For sales and use tax purposes, retailers may use a cash basis, an accrual basis, or any generally recognized accounting basis that accurately reflects the operation of their business. A retailer who wants to use an accounting method to report tax that is not on a pure cash or accrual basis or that is not a generally recognized accounting method must obtain prior written approval from the comptroller.
  (2) Reporting sales and use tax on rentals and leases. Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not apply to the reporting of sales and use tax on rentals and leases of tangible personal property. See §3.294 of this title (relating to Rental and Lease of Tangible Personal Property) for the accounting of rentals and leases.
(c) Credit sales.
  (1) Service charges. Sales and use tax is due on insurance, interest, finance and carrying charges, and all other service charges incurred as a part of a credit sale unless these charges are stated separately to the purchaser by such means as an invoice, billing, sales slip or ticket, or contract.
  (2) Accounting methods. Except as provided by paragraph (D), sales and use tax must be reported on a credit sale based upon the accounting method that the retailer uses for its regular books and records.
    (A) Accrual basis. If a retailer uses an accrual basis of accounting for sales and use tax purposes, the entire amount of sales and use tax is due and must be reported in the reporting period in which the sale occurs.
    (B) Cash basis. If a retailer uses a cash basis of accounting for sales and use tax purposes, the payment received from the purchaser includes a proportionate amount of sales and use tax, sales price, and may include finance charges. Sales and use tax is due and must be reported in the reporting period in which the payment is received based upon the cash collected, excluding separately stated insurance, interest, or finance and carrying charges.
    (C) Modified basis. If a retailer uses an accounting method that is not a pure cash or accrual basis, sales and use tax must be reported in a consistent manner that accurately reflects the realization of income from the credit sales on the retailer's books and records. The retailer must obtain prior written approval from the comptroller to use an accounting method that is not a generally recognized method.
    (D) Cash basis reporting option. A retailer who uses the accrual basis of accounting for its books and records may elect to use the cash basis of accounting for sales and use tax reporting purposes as long as the retailer reports the tax in a manner that accurately reflects the realization of income from cash and credit sales on the retailer's books and records. A change from the accrual basis to the cash basis for reporting sales and use tax is prospective only, and the retailer must establish a procedure to accurately account for sales and use tax received from purchasers during the transition period.
  (3) Transfer or sale of sales contracts and accounts receivable. At the time a retailer sells, factors, or assigns to a third party the retailer's right to receive all payments due under a credit sale, the unpaid sales and use tax on all remaining payments becomes due immediately. The retailer is responsible for reporting all remaining sales and use tax due on a credit sale to the comptroller in the reporting period in which the contract or receivable is sold, factored, or assigned. No reduction in the amount of sales and use tax to be reported and paid by the retailer is allowed if the transfer to the third party is for a discounted amount. This paragraph does not apply to a retailer's assignment or pledge of contracts or accounts receivable to a third party as loan collateral.
(d) Bad debts and repossessions.
  (1) Bad debts during a reporting period. A retailer is not required to report sales and use tax on any amount that has been entered in the retailer's books as a bad debt during the same reporting period in which the sale occurred, and that will be taken as a deduction for federal income tax purposes on the retailer's federal income tax return during the same or subsequent reporting period.
  (2) Persons who may claim a credit or refund.
    (A) Only a retailer, private label credit provider, or assignee or affiliate of either may claim a credit or refund for sales and use tax paid on the bad debt or the unpaid portion of the sales price of a taxable item repossessed under a conditional sales contract.
    (B) Only one person is entitled to a credit or refund for sales and use tax paid to the comptroller on each bad debt or repossession.
  (3) Determining the amount of a bad debt or the unpaid portion of the sales price of a taxable item repossessed under a conditional sales contract.
    (A) The amount is the sales price of the taxable item less all payments and recoveries, including payments applied to interest, fees, and other expenses relating to the sales price of the taxable item under the credit agreement and the proceeds from the sale of an account to a third party.
    (B) The sales price does not include nontaxable separately stated charges such as finance, carrying, insurance or service charges; or interest from credit extended on sales of taxable items under a conditional sales contract or other contract providing for the deferred payment of the sales price.
    (C) For a worthless account that includes charges for taxable and nontaxable items, payments on the account are applied to the charges occurring first in time and prorated between taxable and nontaxable charges occurring at the same time.
    (D) Expenses to collect a bad debt or repossess an item. A person claiming a credit or refund under this subsection cannot add to the credit or refund amount:
      (i) the expense of collecting a bad debt;
      (ii) the expense of repossessing or selling a repossessed item; or
      (iii) the amount that a third party has retained or which has been paid to a third party for the service of collecting a bad debt or the service of repossessing or selling a repossessed item.
    (E) Any person claiming a bad debt refund or credit must also account for all recoveries on an account. If the retailer or private label credit provider claims a refund or credit that includes accounts sold to a third party, the retailer or private label credit provider must provide the detailed collection amounts for sold accounts. If the person claiming the refund or credit does not have the actual collection information, the comptroller will estimate the post-sale collections in calculating the amount eligible for a refund or credit. The comptroller will estimate the post-sale collections at a rate of 2.5 times the proceeds from the sale of the account.
Cont'd...